Earthbound
by Periacta
Summary: Magenta's life on Earth. Twelve Chapters
1. Forced Agreement

AN: Would have written sooner, but I just got Hotel New Hampshire on DVD, with Jodie Foster. And, with the choice between searing at the absolutely gorgeous Jodie and staring at a blank Word program, the decision was easy. Movie was very good. Lots of incest! Ooh, Jodie Foster and Patricia Quinn should be in a movie together, that would be heaven. And, no, I'm not a lesbian, I'm half-and half...I find Anthony Hopkins quite attractive as well...mmm cannibalism and incest, all my favorite topics lead back to Rocky!!!  
  
Riff and I ran to his room to get our things together. I was so eager to get off this ship, but we had to be properly disguised as locals. We had been studying Urth for some time now, and I had prepared outfits for Riff-Raff, Frank, and I. Unless we landed near an ancient nomadic tribe, we would blend very well into the atmosphere of this planet.  
  
We walked into Riff's room. The clothes were set out on the bed, and it seemed that Frank had already been here to take his. I stepped over to the bed, fingering the material on my shirt. Suddenly, I was grabbed around the waist and pulled to the floor.  
  
A cold object was placed against my cheek; while the arm around my stomach squeezed so tightly I again felt the pain of childbirth. Riff's back was turned toward me, but he had heard the thump of my bottom's contact with the floor as I fell. He stood there for a moment, still turned away, but, still, perfectly still. Then, ever so slowly, he turned around.  
  
"Tides have turned, haven't they, Riff-Raff? It seems it was only a little while ago when you had the upper hand, doesn't it. Whose safety was it that you were so concerned about again? Whose flesh did you never want me to touch again?" Frank's hand moved down from my waist, pulling my skirt out of the way, he placed a finger on my inner thigh, tauntingly making circles on my skin.  
  
"We certainly wouldn't want her to be violated would we? You wouldn't want anyone to do *this* to your wee little sister, would you?" His hand moved further up my leg, and into my underwear. His hand brushed over my groin, before bringing a sharp fingernail down and embedding it in my flesh. I couldn't stop the harsh rush of air that escaped from my throat.  
  
Riff jerked at my sound. Frank reacted to Riff's movement by moving the thing against my cheek to my lips, some of the metal parting my lips and entering my mouth. I tasted death, a taste which soon converted into all senses and ran though my body like a powerful drug. It was a feeling worse than sorrow, sharper than anger. I looked down to see a triple- pronged laser, now aimed, I supposed, at my tonsils.  
  
"Well, look," Frank continued, "it's the exact same weapon you threatened me with, isn't it? But now it's pointed at something completely different, isn't it? Now its just waiting to destroy those soft lips that tremble with your kiss, the tender flesh you so love to caress, those breasts, which seem unable to wait for your mouth on them...oh, you thought I didn't know about you two, didn't you? Well, I knew. I knew from the moment Magenta begged me to let you come to the castle. I knew when you carried her away, after her and my little "liaison." I knew when you first held that child of yours, which now lies rotting at the bottom of the sea, only good as fish food."  
  
I closed my eyes, leaning my head back, slumping onto Frank's chest. How could he? How could he so mention my child, Riff's child so, when his own wife was in the same ocean, on the same ocean floor? How could he so mock what Riff and I had for each other, the love we shared, every night, during our few private hours. Was this man truly a beast?  
  
"Now it's time to settle the score, Riff-Raff, here's the deal: I'll let your sister live, you can have her back. You can do whatever you want with her. Fuck her all night for all I care. Tie her to the bed and beat her until she bleeds, it doesn't matter. All I want is your total and complete obedience to whatever I say. Loyalty. Oh, and, until I get someone new, I get Magenta when I want her, too. Got that all, or do I need to repeat it?"  
  
Riff looked at me, then at Frank. "But, Your Majesty-"  
  
Frank shoved the laser into my mouth further; I had to stop myself from gagging. "No buts about it. Just a yes or-"Again Frank pushed the laser further. I couldn't help it, I started gagging and choking.  
  
"I don't think she can handle much more of this, Riff, just answer the goddamned question!"  
  
"Yes, your majesty." Riff-Raff answered, subdued.  
  
Frank pulled me to my feet, and took the laser out of my mouth, now glistening with spit. He roughly pushed me towards my brother, so that I stumbled into his arms.  
  
"She's looking a little pale, Riff-Raff, why don't you help her get some color back into her flesh? Oh, and Riff? Your sister's got a real nice pussy."  
  
Frank sauntered out of the room.  
  
AN: It's four o'clock AM, but I'm on a roll, and I'm not stopping!!!! 


	2. Pain

Riff held me tighter than even Frank had, crushing me in his arms. I could hear his breathing, ragged and irregular. His heart and mine pounded together in unison, so loud I was afraid Frank would here and come back to investigate. He stroked my hair, comforting himself, more than me. I brought his hand to my mouth, kissing it, sucking on his fingers, licking his palms. I was trying to postpone the question I knew was coming.  
  
"I thought you were in with Frank, Magenta. How did he get in here so quickly?"  
  
"Riff," I responded, "I never did go to Frank. I went into the control room to change the location of our landing. I was feeling exited, and mischievous."  
  
"Mischievous?? You were feeling MISCHIEVOUS?? How could you be so careless, Magenta? How could you be so stupid? Look what you got us into, you bitch!"  
  
"Us??" I was confused, and angry. "You weren't the one who had a laser pointed down your throat. You're not the one who has to lie with someone you don't love. Someone who's...not...you, Riff..."  
  
I fell back on to Riff, my breath now as ragged as his. He held me for a moment, his finger brushing against my cheek, my lips. I again let his finger enter my mouth, sucking lightly on it. Suddenly, he pushed me roughly on the bed. At first I thought he was still angry, but then I saw the passion in his eyes. He gently sat down on the bed next to me. He slowly lifted my dress over my head, kissing every inch of skin as it was revealed. He took off my undergarments, and then pushed me softly so I was lying down on the bed. He sat beside me now, still fully clothed. He ran his hands up and down my body, stimulating each nerve. I closed my eyes, and a soft sigh welled up in my throat. I edged towards him as much as I could. He stroked my breasts, my stomach, thighs and legs. I could feel the fire light inside of me.  
  
He leaned his head now down towards my face, and looked me deeply in the eye. "I won't let him do anything to you, Magenta, my sister," he whispered, "He won't ever hurt you."  
  
Now, finally, he lay down beside me, and finally he discarded his clothing. Oh, sweet love, how can you hurt me so? Why must this be so painful? You are my soul mate, why does all pain I feel come from you? I would much prefer the fear that Frank caused to the burning pain, so sweetly excruciating, that Riff had kindled inside me. Yet, I could not leave it. It was both the best and worst thing in my world. 


	3. Denton

AN: Ok, It's my third chapter today, and its Five AM, but I'm gonna stay online all night (morning?) until one of my rocky freak friends gets online. Oh, and I forgot to put a disclaimer at the beginning, so here:  
  
The author of this Fanfic does not own any of the characters, nor does she own anything, for that matter, as she is 16, and legally, all of her possessions belong to her parents until she turns 18. But, somebody DOES own the aforementioned characters, and that person is God. And by God, I mean Richard O'Brien. And By Richard O'Brien I mean God. You see, the two are interchangeable. And so closes the disclaimer.  
  
I huddled closer to Riff. The sunlight here was so much harsher than on Transsexual. IT gave me a headache, and I put my face against my brother's chest, and let him lead me on. This was our first trip to the Town of Denton, five miles away from the castle. We had no other mode of transportation; we certainly couldn't take the castle, so we walked. Frank had stayed at the castle; he said he was working on something.  
  
The walk was long, but pleasant, once my eyes got used to the brightness. As we entered town, we looked in the windows of every storefront we could. It seems that people were just as curious about us as we were about them. This town must not have had many newcomers for a long time. We walked into a small convenience store looking at our list. After gathering our items, we headed to the check counter. Standing there was a rather tall girl, with a short red bob. She smiled, and began ringing up the items. I thought no ill of her...until she spoke. Then, murder crossed my mind. I could tell riff knew, because as she talked, squeaked- rather, he firmly grasped my clenched hand, preventing me from ramming it through her jaw.  
  
"Well, you guys are new," she started, "are you two married?" I smiled and nodded, as did Riff. We had gone over this with Frank.  
  
She continued, "Do you have any kids? I bet they'd be real interesting looking." I looked up at Riff. We hadn't discussed this. He looked at me, then at the girl.  
  
"No, no children." With that Riff walked out of the store, dragging me behind him. We ran back a minute later for the groceries.  
  
"You still think about him, don't you?" Riff abruptly started the conversation on the way back.  
  
"Who??" I asked. I knew perfectly well who he was talking about, but I wasn't ready to talk about it yet, so I postponed.  
  
"Daan." I nodded, he continued. "So do I. But what I remember most is you, being with him. Holding him, singing to him, nursing him. You looked so beautiful holding a child Magenta. I'm so sorry..."  
  
"No, Riff, no more." I had to stop this.  
  
"You know, if you want children........."  
  
No MORE, Riff, please. I'm done talking about it!" Why did he bring that up? I had worked so hard to her the memories out...now, all I could think of was me cradling that wee little thing, and the one tear that fell onto his lifeless cheek, as he slipped through my grasp. I had the same thoughts and doubts as any mother whose child dies. Did he not want to be my son? Had he found a better mother? Was I not fit as a mother?  
  
I slackened off my pace, setting into one behind Riff-Raff. I needed to be alone now. That stupid girl. Why had she brought that up? Riff disappeared around the corner. Did Riff really want to have more children? That was dangerous...all the malformities a child could have. Is that why Daan had died? Because of the incest? I nearly jumped out of my coat at Riff grasped my shoulder. He had been hiding, waiting for me to walk by him. He had a silly grin on his face. One hand was behind his back. He brought his hand out, then, before I could blink, smashed blackberries all over my face, arms, lifting my dress up to put the juice on my chest, stomach, and thighs. I forgave him for the questions, and we proceeded to the castle, where he helped clean me off. 


	4. Brother

AN: I would like to dedicate this next chapter to my parakeets, Nokia (AKA Mr. Zebra) and Starling (AKA the Bad-ass FBI bird). And to my dogs, Casey (AKA Riff, and strangely, he looks the part) and Molly (AKA Janet, just those blank eyes).  
  
I moaned in pleasure as Riff kneaded the muscles in my back. I had just come back from Frank, and as always, I was exhausted, angry, and frightened. Whenever I returned from Frank's bedchambers, Riff-Raff was always awake and waiting for me. He would hold up the covers for me as I crawled in. There was no sex on these nights, he knew I couldn't. But he always made the night pleasurable. He would rub my back, and stroke me, like a kitten. He whispered things into my ears, things that would have made me blush, had I any sense of modesty towards him. Sometimes, he would draw a bath for me, and help me wash off, washing off all the ill I had experienced on those nights.  
  
This night was no different, and he was just getting started massaging my neck, when a painful yelp can from outside. I sat straight up in bed, listening for more noises. Riff would pull me back down, coddling me in his arms. He always made me feel like a little child in his arms. A baby, instead of a lover. (Eww, what AM I writing, that's. . . Ew). He nipped on my shoulder, causing me to gasp in pleasured pain. His hand cupped my breast, and his mouth moved up to my neck. He continued to bite, harder and harder, until I could stand it no longer. I shrieked, and as I did so, I heard again the yelp. I jumped out of bed, and without so much as a glance at my brother, slipped on my robe and padded downstairs, and out the door. I found, its leg caught under a trash can, a mangy and quite feral pregnant dog. I bent down to lift the trash can, and after I did so, quickly ran behind a tree, in case she came after me. She didn't move. I cautiously walked foreword, and saw her leg twisted out of shape, lying where the trash can had been at such an odd angle, it looked unconnected. I gently picked her up, then placed her by the door, where some of the heat from the house would reach her. Stepping back inside, I took off my robe as I walked down the hall, eager to get back to Riff. As I entered the room, I knew something was off. Riff sat up in the bed, his arms crossed. As I approached the bed, he stood up. He placed his hand under my chin, lifting my eyes to his.  
  
"Magenta, don't do that again. When you are with me, when I am touching you, you belong to me. Do not leave until I say you can. I'm your older brother, and I know what's good for you, all right?"  
  
I nodded, internally confused. It seems there was to be a sort of pecking order here. Frank commanded Riff, and Riff commanded me.  
  
"Now then, where were we?" Riff pulled me down on top of him. His skin felt so hot against mine, still fresh from the midnight air. I could tell he felt the difference to, he shivered as our flesh met.  
  
"You're cold. Lets cover you up before you catch ill." He rolled over on top of me, then pulled the covers up over us. He was pressing me flat against the bed, while the bed pressed me against him. He pressed his lips to my neck, bringing them up until he reached my lips. Before his lips met mine, he looked at me.  
  
"Who am I Magenta? Why do I care for you?"  
  
"Because you are my older brother, Riff," I whispered hoarsely.  
  
"Good," he sight, pressing his lips firmly against mine. 


	5. Dogs

AN: A toast to spaghetti! And Billy Joel!  
  
The puppies were born today. There were six of them, and all lived. I spent the day coddling then, and holding them against my cheek. Riff watched from the other end of the room, leaning against the wall, arms crossed.  
  
"Come on Magenta, its bedtime, let's get ready." Riff came near me.  
  
"Just a minute Riff-Raff, I'm not sure I want to leave the pups alone, the mother's lame, I'm not sure she can take care of them by herself. I'm going to spend the night down here."  
  
Riff turned on his heel, and disappeared through the door. I curled up, and the pup's soon squirmed between me and their mom, and, warmed my the two of us, soon fell asleep, as did I.  
  
My eyes opened as a figure slipped into the room. It crept near me, then, stood staring for a moment. A hand, Riff's hand, lightly rested on my shoulder, then moved from my body to a puppy's. Riff picked it up by the scruff, and while it hung from his hand, he took something from his pocket. He carefully touched it to the puppy, and then put it, still sleeping down. He did this to four others, but then, on the fifth, a drop of something fell onto my lips from the puppy above. I tasted blood (and I want more more more more.).  
  
"Riff?" What are you doing?" I spoke softly, not wanting to startle him.  
  
"Get up Magenta, you're going to bed." He yanked me up to my feet, kissing me hard on the lips. Before letting go, he bit my lip so hard, my blood rushed into his mouth. I pulled myself away.  
  
"Riff, stop it. This is going to far. You can't do this to me." I was getting scared. The puppies were not woken by the noise.  
  
He grabbed me again, and placed his and firmly over my mouth. We began walking towards our bedroom, as he whispered in my ear.  
  
"Magenta, I can't keep reminding you like this. I need you. You need me. We must obey and submit to each others urges. But you especially. You need my protection Magenta, and in order for me to give you that, you must listen to me. We are soul mates, but more than that. You are my little sister. My little sister. Mine. You are mine. Do you understand?"  
  
We were outside our bedroom door. He turned me around to face him, and took his hand off of my mouth. I nodded.  
  
"Good for you, my little one," he whispered, in a deadly tone. He pulled me into the room than locked the door behind us.  
  
**********  
  
The mother dog woke up, covered in blood. She looked around to see her puppies deadly stiff. Whimpering, she got up, licking each one in a final act of love. 


	6. Blood

Riff locked the door then turned around to look at me.  
  
"You're so beautiful, did you know that, Magenta? You're so beautiful, but so naïve. You think all good deeds are done out of love, and that all bad ones are done out of hatred. It's not always so, my sweet. Do you think I want to hurt you?" He asked, fingering my still bloody lip, "Do you think I get pleasure out of that?  
  
"I don't Magenta, not at all. In fact you hurt me even more than I could ever hurt you. You think this is pain you're feeling? Pain is watching the one you love most in all of live having to go off to another man. Not because she wants to, but she has to. If you ever left me, Magenta, if you ever would be so insensitive as to forsake me, my sweet, I can't always control myself. Come here, Magenta."  
  
I stepped foreword. He licked the last bit of blood off my lips. "I know what you want, sister, I can give you what you want."  
  
"How ca n you know what I want, Riff, I don't know what I want." He was scaring me  
  
"You way not know it, but you want it, badly. I can read you like a book, my dear. You want a life as something more than a servant. Who doesn't. You want Frank to know, to know the feeling of being looked down upon, how it feels to be treated like shit. You want revenge, more than I do. You look at me as if I were a monster, running on blood-lust, but you are the one with that vengeance in your heart. You want this, and, you want Daan. You have a need to nurture. Daan, those puppies. You are lost without a little life to look after."  
  
Now, I'm going to show you what will happen if you replace me in your heart again. Like you did with those pups. Go, lay on the bed."  
  
I knew this wasn't going to end with us lying next to each other, exhausted and flushed, but I went anyway.  
  
"On your back, Magenta. I'll be right back, don't move." The last two words carried a venom.  
  
I lay down and closed my eyes. I was scared. I wasn't scared for my life, as I had been when Frank had the laser pointed at me, I was scared for myself. I inhaled a shaky breath, and licked my lips.  
  
Riff came back. I couldn't see what he had in his hands, but as he came toward me, the fear grew.  
  
"Now Magenta, after tonight, we are going to pretend this never happened. And remember, I love you..."  
  
A knife, he had a knife. He brought it down do that it was poised, just above my heart. He lifted my shirt up, exposing my skin.  
  
"I love you Magenta. I love you so very much. I'd die for you, Magenta, I really would..."  
  
With the knife, he made a slit, from between my breasts, to my navel. Quickly, he unrolled some bandages, and placed them over the wound. Kissing me, he left. 


	7. Marcy's Sucky chapter

AN: I know this is short and trash, but I dug myself into a huge hole with this one, and I spent days and days just avoiding it, so, even though its horrible, I'm just going to post it, then get on with life and my story. Also, I only have one review, what kind of readers are you!!!!!! REVIEW for god's sake!  
  
I lay in bed, waiting for Riff to return. It was barely dawn, but he had been gone for hours, leaving beside me an empty spot on the bed that soon grew cold. I didn't go back to sleep after he left, I was never able too.  
  
The door opened, and Riff entered. He had something under his arm, I couldn't see what it was. He approached me, the laid the thing down on he bed. It crawled forward, snuffling at my face with its wet nose. Riff leaned forward, kissing me once. "I'm so sorry Magenta," he said, leaving.  
  
It seemed Riff had another surprise for me. Slumped against the corner in the ballroom, the girl from the store lay, passed out. I looked at Riff, questioning his intent, as he stood, polishing the frames of the Urthen artwork, and completely ignoring the girl. I kneeled down close to her, brushing the short hair out of her face. She was younger than me, but not by much, perhaps eighteen to my twenty. I couldn't say much of her looks, but then, I wasn't one to judge.  
  
"Riff," I touched my brother on the shoulder, causing him to pause in his task, turning his face toward me, "What is she doing here? I don't like her. Her voice grates on my nerves."  
  
"She's to divert Frank from you, darling, I'd like you all to myself."  
  
I glanced again at the girl before leaving the room. 


	8. Deep Silence

AN: Ok, I'm continuing with this story, my attention span doesn't last very long whichever one I work on. Anyway, its 12:30 Monday morning, but I don't really feel like sleeping, plus, I'm wearing my fishnets tomorrow, that should keep me awake. Also, who needs to sleep at night? I have chemistry tomorrow, I can catch up then.  
  
She kept following me. This new girl, Columbia, had turned out to be more a nuisance than a saving grace. No matter where I went, she followed me. I was beginning to wonder if she'd follow me into bed with Riff tonight. The thought disgusted me, and I dropped the mop, and stomped up to my bedroom, with her nipping at my heels. Entering my room, I slammed the door in her face.  
  
I slumped against the door as a wave of guilt washed over me. I was being cruel, and I knew it, but I didn't have it in me to be nice. I wasn't naturally a nice person. In nursery school, I was sent home for biting a classmate, and the teacher had to pry me from her bloody arm. In primary school, I hadn't one friend, spending my playtime imagining the demise of those who displeased me. Still, I had no reason to be nasty to Columbia, I had been spiteful.  
  
I thought of opening the door and inviting her in, but decided against it when I saw I was not alone in the room. Riff was at the writing desk, leaning over a book. He hadn't looked up when I entered, but now, he marked his place, closed the book, and turned his face toward mine. I strode over to him, and stood behind him in his chair. Massaging his neck, I felt the muscles in his neck relaxing. Pulling him up and to the bed, I noticed something I had taking for granted before.  
  
It was silent. Compared to the incessant babble of Columbia, this was a paradise. As I reveled in the hush, Riff peeled off my dress, brushing his fingers over my arms, my face, feeling me as a blind man would a book in Braille. Anything but sightless, he took in my image, lying on the bed, a photograph for him and him only.  
  
Though not a word passed between us, the silence was enough communication for both of us. We knew each other to tell each other novels without uttering a syllable. We knew where we stood in each others minds, we knew our duties. Never a day passed that we didn't know each other.  
  
Later, leaving the room to prepare dinner, I found Columbia still sitting there, her head leaning against the wall, fast asleep. Though our ages were not very different, I could see she was to play the child role, and I had to act the maternal one. 


	9. Who actually reads the title chapters?

I shivered and buried my face deeper into the dog's fur. It was raining outside, and the chill from the rain seeped through the walls into my skin. All the dogs that Riff had got me crowded into my bed, and together we kept each other warm. Riff had risen earlier; he was helping Frank retrieve items for an experiment. Columbia was in her own room, which, mercifully, was on the other side of the castle.  
  
Rising out of bed, I watched the dogs rearrange to fill my empty space. I envied, wishing I, too could ignore the time, and stay in my warm cocoon at least until the sun rose. Plodding down the hall, I passed Columbia's open door to see her still peacefully sleeping. Stepping into the kitchen, I rooted around for ingredients for Frank's breakfast, skipping breakfast for myself, as always.  
  
The milkman came, as usual, and as usual asked to see Frank on "personal business." Leading him to the lab, I couldn't help but wonder, if only for a moment, why he came to see Frank.  
  
Riff came back from his assignment, and joined me in the kitchen. Standing together, we finished preparing breakfast, and, leaving it outside of Frank's door, we returned to the bedroom until called for.  
  
Later as I cleaned her room (such a careless slob she was. It disgusted me.) Columbia would wake up, and lying in bed, would begin to talk to me, telling me of her childhood, her likes, dislike, what method of birth control she preferred, everything I didn't need to know, and, frankly, didn't care. I would ignore her, hoping she would take the unresponsiveness as a hint, as I scrubbed a crusty patch of old soup of the wooden floor. She disgusted me.  
  
I hated my job. With ever fiber of my body, I hated it. I was sick of picking up after other people. Even Riff seemed to take advantage of me, leaving his clothes on the floor, expecting me to clean up, tidy the mess, and be the domestic. I myself wasn't of the tidy type, and I had a hard enough time cleaning up after myself, much less three other people.  
  
Riff also hated his job, being Frank's personal slave. He begrudged Frank even more than me, it seemed, for a reason I must not have known. Some nights, after Frank had been asleep for hours, Riff would whisper to me. He spoke of the death of Frank, fantasizing of our freedom, what we would do. I could smell the revolt boiling over. 


	10. Blood Roses

I stopped myself. Fear and reason flooded beck into my brain. Why was I doing this? I didn't hold pain well, why would I choose to inflict it upon myself?  
  
I had come into the kitchen for a glass of water. As I set down the glass, it caught my eye. It wasn't the first time it had caught my attention, but I had managed to ignore it, to push it back into the murky depths of my mind. But it was past midnight, there were no distractions. I saw it, I had used it so many times, to slice through flesh-not mine, but flesh just the same, the muscle of a once living creature. What was the last sensation felt, as the knife pierced the skin? Curiosity overwhelmed me. I rested my hand on the handle, feeling the shape of the handle, pressing my palm against it.  
  
What did I hope to release with the blood? I had so many sour thought trapped inside of me, inside my veins, would it seep out, dripping onto the floor, to be wiped up and forgotten? I squeezed the handle tighter, trying to feel a pulse in the wood.  
  
I could hear my brother shifting on the floor above. He was awake, and aware of my absence. I didn't have much time before he came to investigate. I picked up the knife exhilarated with the feeling of rush. Adrenaline pumped to my brain, working like a drug to alter my state of mind. My skin became a barrier, a cage instead of security. I wanted to take it off, tear it all of, I wanted to bleed until I ran dry, purge myself of all evil, all the wrong that had occurred in me.  
  
I chose a spot. My upper arm, so Frank, at least, wouldn't notice. My skin looked so pale, so anemic and bland, simply begging to be colored. Laying the blade flat against my arm, I glanced at my reflection in the silver. I despised my face, and at that moment I could see why only my brother loved me, why it took so much pain to be loved.  
  
I lifted the blade onto its edge, pressing it hard. I felt the warmness, a heat which intensified, for a moment, into an agonizing burn. Pulling the knife away, I watched the red bloom out, swelling, and dripping, drop by drop, onto the tile. Here we go; I counted the drops as the fell. One...two...three...I grinned in satisfaction. With every drop, I hated myself less, hated Frank and Columbia less, loved my brother more. Seven...eight...it was such a beautiful deep red, pooling onto the floor; I soaked it up with a towel, and watched it stain the towel, spreading out like an unfurling flag. Nine...ten...eleven... He would be angry when he noticed the scars traveling across my arms. There was no way to hide them, anything that could be covered in clothing would be revealed in his presence. I could only hope he would miss them, pass them over with his fingers, his lips. Twelve...thirteen...  
  
I rinsed off the knife, threw away the towel, and, licking the last drops off my arm, climbed the stairs to bed.  
  
AN: I don't know why, but I'm including the Tori Amos song for which this chapter is named:  
  
*~* Blood Roses *~*  
  
Blood Roses  
  
Blood Roses  
  
Back on the street now.  
  
Blood Roses  
  
Blood Roses  
  
Back on the street now.  
  
Can't forget the things you never said.  
  
On days like these gets me thinking.  
  
When chickens get a taste of your meat.  
  
When chickens get a taste of your meat, yes.  
  
You gave him your blood  
  
and your warm little diamond.  
  
He likes killing you after you're dead.  
  
You think I'm a queer.  
  
I think you're a queer.  
  
I think you're a queer.  
  
Said I think you're a queer.  
  
And I shaved every place where you been.  
  
I shaved every place where you been, yes.  
  
God knows, I know I've thrown away those graces.  
  
God knows, I've thrown away those graces.  
  
God knows, I know I've thrown away those graces.  
  
The Belle of New Orleans tried to show me  
  
once how to tango.  
  
Wrapped around your feet  
  
wrapped around like good little roses.  
  
Blood Roses  
  
Blood Roses  
  
back on the street now.  
  
Blood Roses  
  
Blood Roses  
  
back on the street now, now, now,  
  
now you've cut out the flute  
  
from the throat of the loon.  
  
At least when you cry now,  
  
he can't even hear you.  
  
When chickens get a taste of your meat  
  
Come on, Come on, Come on, Come on,  
  
when sucks you deep.  
  
Sometimes you're nothing but meat. 


	11. 1000 oceans

AN: To all you kiddies out there in Rocky land: don't start cutting. It leaves nasty scars on your arms (or legs), and in the long run, it's not good for you. Ok, I've done my public service; do I get to go to heaven now? No? Well, how about purgatory? ALL RIGHT!!!!  
  
The bleeding continued, day after day, late at night, I bled again. If he noticed, he mentioned nothing. I fell in love with the blood that flowed from me, bringing myself to cut deeper and deeper into myself, bringing up more. I always did it in the kitchen, not wanting to mess up any of the wooden floors.  
  
With every drop of blood, my mind was able to release another fear, another thought weighing down my spirit. They would return later, accumulating through the day, but for that small bit of time, I felt unhindered by the chronic clenching of my heart that I suffered through the rest of the day.  
  
I cut the same places each day, so as not to let the scars multiply. It became more painful every time I reopened the wound, and, in a way, more satisfying. The knife became stained a rusty color, painted with my blood, my beautiful blood. I hid it away, so no curious eyes would find it, eyebrows knitting at its curious color.  
  
Every day I would cut deeper, trying to dig through to something, as a child would try to dig to the other side of the globe. I wanted to reach the purity I once had. It seems ages had past since I last understood innocence, and truly, I had been so young when I had been sent off to Frank, and that was taken away, subtly, without me noticing.  
  
After a month, or more, tears mixed with the blood. I was so tired, so frustrated with myself. The blood was beautiful, but it wasn't solving anything. I cut deeper and deeper, making desperate stabs. I wasn't sure what I needed to get out. The pain intensified, and as the tears and blood combined on the floor, I finally collapsed into it.  
  
The world exploded as I plummeted into that pool. Like the dream I had once experienced, it was burning, but as my skin blistered and peeled off, I was not my mother as before, but a monster, so grotesque, and to me, it seemed the epitome of treachery. Without seeing it, I envisioned traitorous acts, not only to Frank, but more painful, more painful than the burning, to Riff.  
  
Riff was on his knees on the kitchen floor, his hand on my back. My shoulders were heaving, I had been sobbing, and the household had been roused. Columbia and Frank lingered at the doorway, and, oddly enough, the milkman. Riff pulled me up and lead me to bed. As we passed by Columbia, I saw she was holding my knife, unsure what to do with it.  
  
AN: Yes another Tori Amos title, so if I do that again, no point in pointing it out, I noticed. 


	12. Precious

I wanted my knife back. Riff had led me and sat beside me as I lay on the bed, silent and still through the last of my sobs. After I silenced, Riff made no attempt to speak, but the stillness in the room changed, I could hear him thinking, searching for words.  
  
"You're really quite slow-witted, Magenta. You really thought you could get rid of something important that way, didn't you?" He lifted up my sleeve, revealing the red slash. "Why bother damaging this lovely skin of yours? It's not worth it."  
  
I wanted my knife back. He was taunting me; I could just feel his pleasure in my distress. Opening my mouth to snarl at him, he pressed his fingers lightly against my mouth. My mind turned off, and an uncontrollable fury took over, emanating from the epicenter at cut. Sitting up suddenly, I snapped at his fingers, catching them between my teeth, and causing him to exclaim in surprised anger. Pushing him off the bed, I spat his own blood back onto him. I took advantage of his startled bewilderment to run from the room. Before I had gauged that he would have attempted, his hand came around from behind me, grasping my throat. Halting the air in my larynx and dragging me back to the room, he flung me onto the floor. Straddling me, we must have looked like two children, play- wrestling each other. Putting his hands on either side of my face, he pressed my head to the floor.  
  
"Stop it, stop it!" he was screaming now, "what makes you think you're better than me? You're not! Damn you, Magenta, stop it! Stop making me love you! Stop being so beautiful, so pitifully desperate for love! Bitch, it's an affliction, can't you see that? I wasn't meant to love you, sister," he spat the word, "I wasn't meant to love you."  
  
I began to question his sanity, as I had my own on the kitchen floor minutes ago. I dared not speak, but I looked up at him, opening my eyes wider, trying for the innocent, questioning look.  
  
"I said stop it! Do you want me to scratch them out?" I closed my eyes. He was pulling off my clothes now, carefully, but with a harsh jerk as well. "I don't want this," he continued, murmuring, "I want you, but not this." He wrapped his arms around me, around my back, pulling my dress out from under me. "Don't hurt yourself like that, Magenta, you only hurt me." He turned my arm to the marks again, tenderly kissing the blood off.  
  
"That was against the rules, what you did. We're playing a game here, and if we want to win, we have to follow the rules. I know them better than you do; you never were good with instructions. You need to listen to me, obey me. I've taken care of you since you were a baby, remember, I'm your older brother, and I know what's best for you." this was sounding familiar. He pressed my body with his, crushing me into the floor. "Don't do anything silly like this again, Magenta, just follow me; stay silent and obey."  
  
His lips grazed against my chin, moving down to my shoulder, where he kissed, softly at first, then, unexpectedly, biting down, hard. "If you need to bleed, I'll help you bleed," he said, dipping his finger into the pool of blood by my neck, and then holding it to my lips. Accepting his macabre offering, I accepted him. He began to relax against me, pulling off his clothes to match my bareness.  
  
As always, I was quickly rushed into a lake of warm pleasure. Biting down hard on my lip, I lifted myself up to meet my brother's body. I needed no more of a bribe than this, I was easily swayed when I had this on my side. The knife slowly withdrew from my brain, and was replaced with the brightest black. 


End file.
